BEREA – Coming off his first Pro Bowl season, Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden is pushing himself harder to emerge as "a great player" this year.

Everything Haden has done to attain that goal by refining his technique this spring and summer traces to how the New York Jets built their defensive foundation on the physical art of press-man coverage.

When former Jets and Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine became Browns coach, he handed Haden his template: video of Darrelle Revis conducting a weekly shutdown clinic during 2007-12 with the Jets. Pettine was the Jets' defensive coordinator starting in 2009 when he and Rex Ryan moved from the Baltimore Ravens.

Then Pettine hired another ex-Jets standout, cornerback Aaron Glenn as his assistant defensive backs coach. Haden has spent a lot of individual time with Glenn tweaking his man coverage footwork so as not to be vulnerable to the league's crackdown on defensive holding.

Glenn's first NFL head coach with the 1994 Jets? Reigning Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who orchestrates the "Legion of Boom" secondary led by elite cornerback Richard Sherman.

"I want to grow into a great player because the way coach Pettine's defense works, our job as corners is to play man and take away the opponent's best receivers," Haden said. "Aaron Glenn is a great coach. He had 41 career picks. He's teaching me about anticipating receiver routes and stems.

"The thing I'm better at and I've worked on this whole offseason is getting my hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage."

That 5-yard area extending from the line of scrimmage where cornerbacks are allowed to jam receivers has become an increasingly fine line.

League officials are making defensive holding and illegal contact — a 5-yard penalty that carries an automatic first down — a point of emphasis this season.

Pettine, who has had his defensive backs don kick boxing gloves in practice to prevent players from grabbing receivers' jerseys, is helping his players adjust to the stricter enforcement.

"We're not going to coach our guys any different," Pettine said. "We're all waiting to see: 'OK, how much will it be called in the regular season?' I think it's going to be tight. And we're prepared to do that.

"Our guys understand they have to cover with their feet. We want to collision guys early and not grab them, then, get our hands up and cover."

Glenn, whom Pettine calls "one of the most important additions for us this offseason," is an ideal mentor for an already accomplished player in Haden, who received a five-year, $68 million extension in May after notching 13 interceptions and 68 passes defensed in 57 career games.

"Aaron is teaching more step and replace, stop, shuffle your feet and just staying square rather than opening up and running with the receiver," Haden said. "You can jam them as many times as you want within those first five yards."

Watching Revis has helped.

"When coach Pettine was hired, they told me: 'Watch Revis. That's what you're going to have to do here,' " Haden said. "Basically, that technique is what allowed Revis to be that lock-down guy."

After getting married in 2013 and through his Christian faith, Haden has matured into a leader, helping accelerate the learning curve for eighth overall pick Justin Gilbert, the ball-hawking former Oklahoma State corner.

"Justin flashes," Haden said of the 6-foot, 202-pound rookie. "He's fast, tall, quick and doesn't panic when the ball is in the air. "You can't really teach those gifts Justin has."

What are Haden's impressions of the Browns' other first-round pick: quarterback Johnny Manziel?